Display apparatus with resistor multiplexer

Abstract

Embodiments 1of an apparatus with first and second display panels and a resistor multiplexer are disclosed.

1 . An apparatus comprising:
 first and second display panels having first and second pixel arrays, respectively, with first and second series of generally parallel electrodes, respectively, that extend across the first and second pixels arrays, respectively; and   a resistor multiplexer having a first series of driver lines for receiving first driving signals;   wherein each of the first and the second series of electrodes is connected to a respective plurality of the first series of driver lines via a respective impedance, and wherein the first driving signals contained by each of the plurality of the driver lines are independent of each other.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein a first number of the first series of driver lines is less than a second number of the first and the second series of generally parallel electrodes. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein a first set of combinations of the first driving signals correspond to the first series of electrodes, wherein a second set of combinations of the first driving signals correspond to the second series of electrodes, and wherein the first and the second sets of combinations are mutually exclusive. 
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  where a first set of the pluralities of the first series of driver lines connects to the first series of electrodes, wherein a second set of the pluralities of the first series of driver lines connects to the second series of electrodes, and wherein the first and the second sets of the pluralities of the first series of driver lines are mutually exclusive. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a first series of drivers configured to provide the first driving signals to the series of driver lines.   
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 5  wherein the first series of drivers is configured to provide a first set of the first driving signals to a first set of the series of driver lines that correspond to the first series of electrodes during a first time period, and wherein the first series of drivers is configured to provide a second set of the first driving signals to a second set of the series of driver lines that correspond to the second series of electrodes during a second time period. 
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 5  wherein the first and the second pixel arrays, have third and fourth series of generally parallel electrodes, respectively, that extend across the first and second pixels arrays, respectively, generally perpendicular to the first and the second series of electrodes, respectively. 
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 7  further comprising:
 a second series of drivers configured to provide second driving signals to the third and the fourth series of generally parallel electrodes.   
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the first and the second display panels are each flexible. 
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a substrate that includes the first and the second display panels.   
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a first substrate that includes the first display panel; and   a second substrate that includes the second display panel.   
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the first and the second display panels are one of electrophoretic display panels and liquid crystal display panels. 
   
   
       13 . A method comprising:
 providing a first set of codewords to a resistor multiplexer to update a first display panel during a first time period; and   providing a second set of codewords to the resistor multiplexer to update a second display panel during a second time period that is subsequent to the first time period;   wherein the first and the second sets of codewords are mutually exclusive.   
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising:
 receiving a user input; and   providing the first set of codewords to the resistor multiplexer to update the first display panel in response to receiving the user input.   
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising:
 providing the first set of codewords to a first portion of the resistor multiplexer on a first substrate; and   providing the second set of codewords to a second portion of the resistor multiplexer on a second substrate.   
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising:
 providing a first subset of the first set of codewords to the first portion of the resistor multiplexer to update a first portion of the first display panel; and   providing a second subset of the first set of codewords to the first portion of the resistor multiplexer to update a second portion of the first display panel.   
   
   
       17 . A system comprising:
 means for generating first driving signals configured to update first and second display panels during first and second time periods, respectively; and   means for providing a first subset of the first driving signals to the first display panel during the first time period and a second subset of the first driving signals to the second display panel during the second time period;   wherein the first and the second subsets of the first driving signals are mutually exclusive.   
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 17  further comprising:
 means for providing second driving signals configured to update the first and the second display panels in conjunction with the first and the second subsets of the first driving signals, respectively.   
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 17  further comprising:
 means for providing the first subset of the first driving signals to the first display panel in response to a first user input and the second subset of the first driving signals to the second display panel in response to a second user input.   
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 17  wherein the first and the second display panels are one of electrophoretic display panels and liquid crystal display panels.